At the end of the 8th Interim National Executive Committee (NEC) Meeting
\nof the All Progressives Congress held on Thursday, January 23rd, 2014 in
\nAbuja, and was well attended by prominent leaders of the party, a
\ncommuniqu\u00c3\u00a9 was issued by the party, directing its members in the National
\nAssembly to block all legislative proposals including the 2014 budget and
\nconfirmation of all nominees to the military and civilian positions to
\npublic office until the rule of law is restored in Rivers State. Also,
\nsensing that, the call by the APC amounts to shutting down of the
\ngovernment which is against the interest and the wellbeing of the 170
\nmillion fathers, mothers, children, poor, rich, young and old Nigerians
\nwhose means of livelihood and survival depended solely on the government
\noperation, Honorable Femi Gbajabiamila, an APC member in the House of
\nRepresentatives asked rhetorically \u00e2\u20ac\u0153When Government isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t shutdown and
\nsuccessive budgets have been passed, of
\nwhat benefit has it been to the common man?\u00e2\u20ac<\/p>\n
Ordinarily, I would have maintained my reticence and confront myself with
\nother pressing national issues, but, because, the call by the APC, a major
\nopposition party in the country waiting to field candidates in the coming
\nFebruary 2015 General Elections in Nigeria, is a disproportionate response
\nto the political topsy-turvy in Rivers State, I wish to use this medium
\nand add my voice to the parochial directive by the party!<\/p>\n
First, it should be well understood that shutting the government down is
\nan open invitation to anarchy, and anarchy has to do with a societal state
\nin which there is no structured government or law or in which there is
\nresistance to all current forms of government.<\/p>\n
Secondly, as a political organization that is struggling to lead Nigeria;
\nif the government is shutdown and anarchy prevails in the country, which
\nnation would they be scheming to govern after the conduct of the February
\n2015 General Elections? Or put the other way, if the millions of
\npensioners, civil servants and all classes of Nigerians whose means of
\nstaying alive is directly tied to the government of Nigeria dies, because
\nthere would be no payment of workers salary, pension and money to meet and
\nsolve their immediate problems and needs, who then will they be scheming
\nto govern in 2015?<\/p>\n
It will be recalled that, when the Republican controlled House of
\nRepresentatives in the United States Congress decided to use their
\nnumerical strength in the House to hold President Barrack Obama Hostage by
\nshutting the US Government down from October 1st to October 16th 2013,
\nafter the Congress refused to pass a legislation appropriating funds for
\nthe 2014 fiscal year, because of the inclusion of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Patient Protection
\nand Affordable Care Act\u00e2\u20ac otherwise known as \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Obama Care\u00e2\u20ac in the
\nbudget, about 1 million American Federal Employees were furloughed and
\nover 1.3 million Americans were asked to report to work without pay. The
\nManaging Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Ms. Christine
\nLargarde warned of the possible consequence of the shutdown on the entire
\nworld economy, saying it could led to another global economic meltdown,
\nbut, here in Nigeria, a political organization that wants to present its
\nself to the Nigerian electorates is
\ncalling for a government shutdown without minding its effects on the
\npeople. Is this another case of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m Ok, you (Nigerians) are not Ok?<\/p>\n
However, while condemning the call by the APC, the Yoruba Apex
\nSocio-Cultural Organization through its spokesman, Mr. Yinka Odumakin
\nsaid: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The most dangerous of the APC\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s recommendation is encouraging
\nits members to engage in things that may lead to instability \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 The APC
\nfails to think of the implications of not passing the budget and its
\neffects on the Nigerian Masses\u00e2\u20ac. In the same vein, Senator Kabir Marafa,
\nan APC Senator representing Zamfara Central Senatorial District in the
\nSenate, while expressing shock over his party\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s directive to its members
\nin the National Assembly to shutdown Nigeria said: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think the
\nparty gave that instruction because, APC comprises highly intelligent
\npeople of immense experience. So, I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think people of such
\nexperience could give that type of instruction\u00e2\u20ac.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, Nigerians should ask APC leaders what they had in mind when
\nthey asked their members in the National Assembly to block the
\nconfirmation of service chiefs; when in 2012, one of them threatened of
\nboth the dog and the baboon been soaked in blood?<\/p>\n
Until convincing reasons are offered, the party should note that, gone
\nwere the days when Nigerian Youths stands idly-by and watch the enemies of
\nour democracy truncate our democratic aspirations. Hence, having seen how
\nPresident Good Luck Jonathan is transforming and adding meaning to
\ngovernance through the various policies and programmes he has introduced
\nin the country; and as a way of saying \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Thank You\u00e2\u20ac Mr. President,
\nride-on in 2015, the youths of the country will no longer condone any
\nthreat that could cause confusion in Nigeria, as the youths are now ready
\nto defend our democracy and its institutions which President Good Luck
\nEbele Jonathan is representing! May I also use this medium to warn those
\nwho are still planning to threaten the peace, cohesion, stability and
\nabove all, the Democratically Elected President of Nigeria to desist from
\ntaking further action in that regards; because in the banter of democracy,
\nwhat is needed is superior
\narguments and debates and not threats of any kind!<\/p>\n
Comrade Edwin Ekene Uhara, a Democracy Activist and Commentator is the
\nNational President of Young Nigerians for Change.
\nText him on 07065862479, 08076134054
\nedwinuhara@rocketmail.com
\nNo. 9, Imgbi Road, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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